Pearce Hudson: #1 My Italian Devil

21.Emperors can't rule on their own

"What do you want Dante?" I hissed. "And how did you get my number?"
"Made a few calls," Dante replied. "It's not hard to find your wife."
"I repeat what do you want?"
His voice dropped from a sexy, charming voice to a softer and more caring voice, "You left before I woke up."
"I did. What did except, polite talk? You were just an one night stand."
"Call it what you will. Don't tell me you didn't miss it."
"I'm hanging up."
"Wait! Wait! I have a proposal for you?"
"What?"
"A business proposal. I'm in need for your private investigator skills."
"You think after everything you did to me I'd help you?!"
"For your firm possibly."
"Dante...ask another firm."
"But I'm asking you."
I didn't reply. Of course it was a yes, for the case but I had to play hard to get.
"Come by the mansion at 11."
There was a click and the line disconnected.
I dialed the Terry Price office number. Vivian picked up.
"Hey Pearce," she said. "Jessica, Jones, Green and Ross are here."
"Dante just called. He wants a meeting with the firm at his mansion. He needs private investigators."
"What did you say?" Jones asked.
"No of course. Then yes."
"Playing hard to get," Jessica commented. I could hear her smirk over the line.
"He said 11. It's 10:40. I'm thinking I should go there. So I'll call you guys when I get there."
"You're not going there alone," Jones insisted. "I would go but Dante's bodyguards could recognize me. We arrested a few back at DC."
"Not Jessica. Can't take Ross. Viv and Green?" I asked.
"I'm going back to Striptease to set up surveillance," Green replied.
"Take Jake with you," Jessica said. "He's the closest right now."
"Jake?"
"Is there a problem?"
"No. It's fine."
I climbed back up the stairs and pounded on his door.
He opened the door wearing a white shirt and blue jeans, "Pearce I-"
"Dante wants a meeting with Terry Price Investigations. You're ganna be an associate."
"Oh okay..."
"Put on something formal."
My fingers drummed on the steering wheel as I waited for Jake. I kept going over in my head what I said to Jake and how I could've done it differently. But nothing came to mind. I can take rejection. But he was messing me up, getting me Gatorade, going to my nieces birthday even though he didn't know me, getting the present when I forgot it, letting me stay at his place, looking after my dog, zipping up my dress. I slapped my forehead, Jessica's words really got to me. I used to be cold hearted Agent Hudson, who need no man but drank like one. Now I couldn't get enough of a criminal husband. Pussy much.

The car door opened and Jake sat down. He kept the shirt, but changed his jeans to dress pants, sneakers to dress shoes and had on a blazer. Thoughts zoomed in my head. I had a bunch of comebacks in my head but all of them would make me look desperate and needy. My standard was low but desperate and needy low.

As I drove I kept one eye on Jake to see if was looking at me or going to say anything. But he kept his face looking out the window. Jackass. More like sweet ass. Shut up!
We pulled up a few blocks away from mansion to discuss the plan. "Let me do most of the talking," I told him. "And act a little flirtatious towards me, it might rile him up and may let something slip. We need a safe word in case of anything. We don't have coms. So you need to use the word in a sentence. Any suggestions?"
"How about blue Gatorade?"

Everything was familiar. Pulling up to the circular driveway, the white pillars of the mansion, the steps. I felt old Pearce, coming home from University, ready for my husband to cuddle with me while I complained about my shitty day. But that's gone.

One of the bodyguards opened the door even before climbed the stairs. "Mrs. Capaldi please follow me," he said.
"It's Ms. DeNiro and I know my way around this shithole," I cursed at him. He moved aside to let me and Jake in.
"Was it ever?" Jake asked.
"What?"
"Capaldi. Mrs. Capaldi."
"Once."
We stepped into the foyer. It felt like yesterday I was here leaving the mansion for good. I promised myself I wouldn't come back. I was never good at keeping promises.
"Pearce," Dante said at the top of the stairs. He walked down quickly, moving swiftly on each step. "Didn't think you'd come."